Heat-exchange device



Jan. 7, 1930. J, AMBLE 1,742,348

' I HEM EXCHANGE DEVICE Filed March 24. 192a ATTORNEYS @u/a UMAMPatented Jan. 7. 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM JOHN GAMBLE,OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO CARRIER CON STBUCTION COMPANY,INC.,

0F. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY v HEAT-EXCHANGE DEVICE 7 Application filed March24, 1926. Serial No. 96.986.

This invention relates to tubular radiators? or heaters of that kindwhich have spaced radiating tubes connected to a header or headersandadapted for the flow of steam or other medium through the tubes, andwhich are used to effect an interchange of heat between the mediumflowingthrough the tubes and the air or medium circulating between thetubes, asffor example, for heating the air orexternal medium, or forcooling the me dium circulatingthrough the tubes. More particularly, theinvention relates to improvements' in radiators or heaters in which theradiating tubes and the tube plates or parts of the header or headers towhich the tubes are connected are made relatively, thin and flexible,and of brass oroth'er metal of high conductivity so as to produce aradiator of light weight having the maximum conductivity and radiation,and in which the thin tube plates or parts ofthe headers to which theradiating tubes are joined are adapted to readily flex or give with thechanges in length of the radiating tubes, due to the alternate expansionand contraction thereof so as to prevent distortion of the tubes orother parts of the radiator and avoid the opening or weakening of thejoints between the parts of the radiator.

Radiators or heaters of the character mentioned are employed extensivelyin automat-i ically controlled heating and ventilating installations inwhich steamat relatively high pressures is used in the radiator forheating-the air that serves to heat or ventilate the building,andinwhich the steam is turned .on and OK, or its supply to the radiatorregulated for varying or controlling, as-required,

the temperaturetof the-air in the system, and owing to the greatradiation and rapid conductivity of'the metal forming the tubes andconnected tube plate or header, these parts are'subj'ect torelativelysudden and extreme changes of" size or form due to the sudden changes intemperature thereof.

One of the objects of the invention is to join the radiating tubes tothe flexible tube plates or parts of the headers in a novelmanner-,su'ah that notwithstanding the thinness of the walls of thetubes and the tube plates,

nevertheless very strong and reliable unions are effected between theparts, which insure perfect steam-tight joints which are pretivethinness of the Walls of the tubes and the connected tube plates,relatively large hearing areas are provided between thetubes and tubeplates Which-insure a strong, rigid connection and thetubes and tubeplates are provided with integral, interengaging shoulders or partswhich. positively secure the tubes against ,bothlinward andoutwardmovement relatively, to the tube plate; and also to improve theconstruction of tubular radiatorsor heaters in the other respectshereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Fig.1 is a transverse sectional elevationof a radiator or heater embodying my invention.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sections showing one construction of the jointbetween one of the radiating tubes and the tube plate, these figuresshowing respectively the parts before connection, the tube seated in theflanged hole of the tube plate, and the completed joint.

F igs; 5 and 6 are sections showing two slightly modified forms of jointbetween the radiating tube and the tube plate or flexible wall of theheader;

comprises upper and lower headers 10 and 11 connected by parallel,spaced radiating tubes 12 so that a fluid medium supplied to one of theheaders, for example, as by a pipe connected to the upper header, can,pass through the several radiating tubes to the other header anddischarge through a discharge pipe 14 connectedwith the latter. Eachheader, as shown, comprises a flexible or relatively thin sheet metalplate, wall or part 15 and a strong, rigid or cast plate or part 16,connected to the flexible part by a fused or other suitable form ofhermetic joint, and the radiating tubes, which have relatively thinwalls, are secured at their ends to the flexible plate or shellof theheader, the tubes being preferably provided with the usual projectingradiating fins 17 formed by a thin metal ribbon wound helically aroundand soldered or otherwise suitably secured to each tube. I11 so far asthis invention is concerned, however, except for the construction of thejoints between the radiatingv tubes and the flexible tube plate or wallof the header, the radiator may be of any suitable form andconstruction.

The construction of the 'oints connecting the radiatin tubes to theexible tube plate or part of .tfie header can be modified more 6r less,as shown in the several figures of the drawings. The flexible tube plateor header art 15 is formed as by stamping'or drawing in suitable dies torovide therein holes surrounded by integra inwardly projecting lipsorflanges 18 to receive the ends of the radiating tubes. The'internaldiameter of each of these flanges 18 is preferably slightly smaller thanthe external diameter of that portion 19 of the tube which is to fit inthe flange, said portion 19 being preferably made cylindrical and of anexternal diameter adapting it to enter the rounded or bevelled edge 20at the outer end of the flange 18 so that by drivin or pressing the tubeinto the flanged hole 0 the tube plate, the part 19. of the tube isslightly compressed or the flan e 18 slightly expanded, or 0th, and avery tig t driven fit of the tube in the flanged hole results. The tubeis also provided with an external, circumferential shoulder 21 which isadapted to engage or bear against the rounded, outer end 20 of theflanged hole when the portion 19 of the tube has been fully pressed intoplace in the flanged hole, thereby limiting the inward movement of thetube into the hole and preventing inward movement of the tube in thetube plate in the completed joint. This external shoulder 21 on thetubecan be made by forming an outwardly projecting, circumferential beador corrugationin the wall of the tube, as shown in Fig. 5, or theshoulder can be formed by contracting or compressing the tube at its endportion so as to make the portion 19 of the tube of less diameter thanthe remainder of the tube, as clearly shown in Figs. 2-4 of thedrawings. By thus compressing the end portion of the tube .to make it ofless than its original diameter, the metal in the reducedportion 19 ismade denser or thicker, thereby strengthening it. Another beneficialeffect of thus compressing or contracting the end portions of the tubesto a smaller diameter is that while the tubes as produced commerciallymay vary somewhat in diameters, the end portions 19 of all of the tubescan be readily reduced to the same diameter by means of dies or othersuitable mechanism, so that the portions 19 of all of the tubes willaccurately fit in the flanged holes of the tube plate and insureuniformly perfect joints between the walls of the tubes.

tubes and the tube plate. Also the tubes can be reduced at their ends inthis way at less expense and with less danger of loss by rupturing orweakening the tubes than if the shoulders 21 are formed by expanding theAfter the end of the tube has been pressed, or driven into the flangedhole of the tube plate with the shoulder 21 of the tube against theouter edge 20 of the hole, the extremity of the tube is flangedoutwardly or shaped by suitable means to provide an external shoulder orenlargement on the end of the tube which en ages the inner end of theflange 18 of the tu e plate so as to rigidly and permanently retain thetube in the flanged hole of the tube plate and prevent relative outwardmovement of the tube in the hole. The end of the tube can be simplyexpanded or flared outwardly to form" a shoulder 22 engaging the innerend of the tube plate flange 18, as shown in Fig. 1, but preferably theend of the tube is bent or rolled back over the end of the flange 18 soas to ti htly embrace the latter, as shown at 23,

Figs, 4 and'5. By the described construction,

even though the tube plate is relativel thin, each tube has a driven fitand a relative y long bearin in the'tube late and, in addition, issecured against en wise movement in both directions by integralshoulders on the tube engaging the opposite ends of its bearing, that isthe flange '18 of the tube plate. In pressin the tubes into the holes inthe tube plate, t e rounded, outer edges 20 of the flanged holes, whichare uite rigid, act in the nature of dies on the sil pulders 21 of thetubes and press the shoulders to the shape of the edges 20, therebyensuring very close contact and fit of the shoulders against the edges20.

After the tubes have been firmly secured in the flanged holes in thetube plate, as thus described, the joints between the tubes and steam isused in the radiator.

The joint shown in Fig. 6 is similar to that shown in Fig. 4, exceptthat a strengthening collar 25 surrounds and tightly fits the holeflange on the tube plate, and the out-turned flange atthe end of thetube overhangs this collar as well as the hole flange, thereby securingthe collar in place. Thecollar is [of substantial cross section and istherefore strong and rigid and greatly strengthens the hole flangeagainst expansion. In this construction a'res'triction ring 26 'is alsoshown secured in the end of the tube. The openings of these restrictionrings are so proportioned relatively to the fluid supply to the radiatoras to prevent the steam or other fluid from flowing through a partonly-of the tubes.

They, therefore, act' to equalize the distribution of the steam or fluidto all ofthe tubes and prevent dead or inactive tubes in the steam suply or other radiator. As in the other construction, the several partsof the joint are soldered or welded together.

Since manufacturing considerations make it practically essential thatready access be afforded to the ends of the tubes at the inner side ofthe tube plate or shell in making joints of the character describedbetween the tubes and the tube plate or shell, the tubes are joined tothe tube plate or shell before the which the radiating tubes are joinedis flexible and can be formed from a relatively thin plate oi sheet ofsuitable metal having the required flexibility and conductivity, suchfor instance as sheet brass, so that this plate orwall can readily flexor give with changes in dimensions of the tubes due to variations inholes at the outer side of the tube plate, and said tubes having theirinner ends flanged over the inner ends of said jflanges of the flexiblewall and said'strengthening collars.

3. In a heat exchange device, the combinaprojections which engage theedges of said tion of a header having a thin flexible wall provided withholes surrounded by integral I inwardly projecting flanges on said wall,radiating tu in said flanged holes, said tubes having inte-' gralexternal projections which engage the es having portions fitting tightlyI inner and outer. ends of said flanges on said flexible wall wherebysaidtubes are secured to said wall against inward and outward movementrelatively thereto, and rings secured in the end portions of said tubesand having openings of smaller diameter than th internal diameter of thetubes.

4:. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a'header composed ofcomplementary Walls joined together bya fluid tight fused metal joint,radiating tubes having relatively thin walls joined to one of saidheader Walls by fluid tight fused metal joints, anddistribution-equalizin'g rings in the end portions of said tubes andhaving openings of smaller diameter than the internal diameter of thetubes.

. WILLIAM J OHN. GAMBLE.

their temperature. At the same time, how-' i ever, the other part 16 ofthe header which is formed or provided with the screw collar or otherpart 28 for the attachment of the sufficient y strong an rigid toWithstand strains and shocks incident to the attachment of the pipes toand their disconnection from the radiator, and the expansion andcontraction of the pipes. v

I claim as my invention 1. In a heat exchange device, the combination ofa header having a thin flexible wall provided with holes surrounded byinwardly projecting flanges formed" by inbent integral parts of saidWall, and radiating tubes having thin Walls of substantially uniformthickness throughout provided with portions having driven fits in saidflanged holes and with integral circumferential external shoulders whichengage the outer end edges of said holes, the inner ends of said tubesbeing flanged over the inner ends of the flanges of the flexiblewall,.'whereby said tubes are secured to said wall against inward andoutward movement relatively thereto.

2. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a header having a thinflexible wall provided with holes surrounded by integral inwardlyprojectin flanges on said wall, strengthening col ars surrounding saidflanges, and radiating tubes having portions fitting tightly in saidflanged holes, said tubes being provided with integral circumferentialpipe to the radiator, is i

